Using Campaign GPS Data to Model Slip Rates on the Alpine Fault
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New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics ISSN: 0028-8306 (Print) 1175-8791 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnzg20 A geodetic study of the Alpine Fault through South Westland: using campaign GPS data to model slip rates on the Alpine Fault Chris J. Page, Paul H. Denys & Chris F. Pearson To cite this article: Chris J. Page, Paul H. Denys & Chris F. Pearson (2018): A geodetic study of the Alpine Fault through South Westland: using campaign GPS data to model slip rates on the Alpine Fault, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, DOI: 10.1080/00288306.2018.1494006 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2018.1494006 View supplementary material Published online: 09 Aug 2018. Submit your article to this journal View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tnzg20 NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2018.1494006 RESEARCH ARTICLE A geodetic study of the Alpine Fault through South Westland: using campaign GPS data to model slip rates on the Alpine Fault Chris J. Page, Paul H. Denys and Chris F. Pearson School of Surveying, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Although the Alpine Fault has been studied extensively, there have been few geodetic studies Received 11 December 2017 in South Westland. We include a series of new geodetic measurements from sites across the Accepted 25 June 2018 Haast Pass and preliminary results from a recently established network, the Cascade array KEYWORDS that extends from the Arawhata River to Lake McKerrow, a region that previously had few Alpine Fault; slip rates; South geodetic measurements. We compare the slip rates based on models that include both Westland; deformation; GPS single and double faults, and consider Alpine Fault dips of 55° and near vertical. Our preferred solution models the Alpine Fault as an infinitely long fault, dipping at 55° with a second (proxy) fault to account for (inboard) distributed deformation. This gives results that are consistent with the Alpine Fault being a predominantly strike-slip fault with a slip rate of 30 ± 2 mm/yr and therefore demonstrates that the slip rate of the Alpine Fault is constant along strike. The locking depth for the fault in this region is c. 17 km. Assuming a near vertical dip angle results in unrealistic high slip rates. Introduction southeast c. 82°) (Barth et al. 2013, Table 1). The Over the last 20 years, the School of Surveying at the vertical component also changes at this point such University of Otago has established a dense geodetic that the Pacific Plate is uplifting north of the Martyr network extending across the South Island of New Zeal- River and the Australian Plate is uplifting to the south. and. The network extends from the east coast near This region has been the subject of geodetic investi- Dunedin across Central Otago and the Alpine Fault to gations since the 1980s (Blick 1986; Pearson 1990) that the west coast near Haast (Figure 1). This profile, were based on the analysis of triangulation measure- which crosses the Central Otago and South Westland ments, but subject to large measurement errors. The regions, is located in the southern half of the South advent of satellite geodesy resulted in improved Island of New Zealand. The eastern half of the profile measurement precision that enabled studies such as is dominated by the Otago fault system, which is charac- Pearson et al. (2000) to examine slip rates on the terised by actively growing asymmetric anticlines above Alpine Fault with a best fit model that accommodates buried reverse faults (Beanland and Berryman 1989; c. 75% of the relative plate motion and a locking Jackson et al. 1996; Litchfield and Norris 2000; Litchfield depth of c. 10 km. For the central South Island, Beavan 2001). These structures are periodically active followed et al. (1999) showed that the majority of the observed by long periods of quiescence when the activity migrates velocity signal (50–70%) is uniform slip along strike to another structure in the region (Beanland and Berry- of the Southern Alps with a shallower locking depth man 1989; Litchfield and Norris 2000). of 5–8 km, which is consistent with higher crustal Farther west, the tectonics are dominated by the temperatures associated with a thinner crust. On the plate boundary zone where, in the central South Island, eastern side of the Southern Alps and away from the boundary takes up oblique convergence that tran- the Alpine Fault, Denys et al. (2014, 2016) showed sitions in the southwestern South Island (South West- the spatial variation in strain accumulation within the land to Fiordland) to subduction of the Australian Otago fault system. Plate (Wallace et al. 2007). Barth et al. (2013) identify In addition to the Otago geodetic data (Denys et al. Martyr River as the change point between the central 2014, 2016), this study includes recent geodetic and southern Alpine Fault. North of Martyr River the measurements from sites across the Haast Pass that plate motion is accommodated as oblique strike-slip have not been measured for many years and data (strike 55°, dipping southeast c. 45°), whereas south from a recently established network, the Cascade the motion is almost pure strike-slip and the Alpine array that extends from the Arawhata River to Lake Fault becomes nearly vertical (strike 52°, dipping McKerrow, a region that previously had very few CONTACT Paul H. Denys [email protected] Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2018.1494006. © 2018 The Royal Society of New Zealand 2 C. J. PAGE ET AL. phase centre models were significantly less accurate than for more modern antenna. To overcome the centring and antenna height error inherent in traditional GPS campaigns, we have estab- lished two networks composed of force-centred marks. In these networks, each antenna is connected to a fixed height adaptor that is attached directly to a 5/8′′ threaded rod epoxied into rock. The height of the antenna reference point above the ground depends on the length of the fixed height adaptor and would generally range between 0.055 and 0.15 m. Secure sites are chosen so that equipment can be left unat- tended for long periods. The two networks containing force-centred points are the Cascade array consisting of marks epoxied into rock outcrops located on ridge tops above the bush line. The array, which was established in 2012, is accessible only by helicopter and observed at c. 1-year intervals between 2013 and 2016. The Cen- tral Otago network is similar to the Cascade array Figure 1. Network sites. ( ) Continuous GNSS sites, ( ) cam- except that the marks were developed so that each paign sites and ( ) new Cascade array campaign sites. Big site had easy, all-weather access (two-wheeled drive Bay profile sites have black borders (see profiles G and H) vehicle) as well as being secure so that the equipment using sites south of Martyr River (Table 2, Models G and H). could be left unattended. The first sequence of Central Otago marks was established in 2004, a second phase in geodetic measurements. Together, these data form a late 2005 and a third phase in 2009. The mark distri- broad profile between Dunedin to Haast, and south bution is governed by the layout of the road network, of Jackson Bay (Figure 1). which in turn tends to follow the valleys and basins of the region. This allows for easy and fast access to the marks, but results in the mark distribution being Campaign GPS biased towards lower elevations. The surveys have Our study incorporates campaign and continuous been conducted using a reasonably consistent set of measurements collected over the past 20 years. These equipment. All measurements since 2004 have used data have been observed using traditional GPS Trimble 5700, R7 and R10 receivers and Trimble Geo- methods: tripod, tribrach and antenna set up on tra- detic, Trimble Geodetic 2 or R10 antennas. ditional surveying marks, typically stainless pins with centring holes grouted into rock or set in concrete. GPS processing Nominally observing sessions are 2 days (48 h) long, although some of the earlier campaigns were observed GPS data have been processed using the Bernese soft- with sessions of < 24 h. Although this method is versa- ware package (v. 5.2) (Dach et al. 2015) using 24 h tile and expedient, it is prone to centring and antenna daily position solutions. The Centre for Orbit Determi- height measurement errors. The use of different equip- nation (CODE) precise satellite orbit and clock par- ment (e.g. antenna) between campaigns, can result in ameters, together with the I08.ATX absolute GPS positional errors. This is particularly true for the receiver and satellite antenna phase centre model early measurements in the 1990s when the antenna (Schmid et al. 2007) are used to generate daily position Table 1. Model parameters for the single- and double-fault models estimated using both the pre- and post-Dusky Sound 2009 (DS2009) velocity fields. Note that a positive slip rate implies dextral motion. The dip of the Alpine Fault is assumed to be 55° and the antithetic fault is assumed to be 46°. Fault model Fault(s) Strike slip rate Locking depth mm/yr ± 1σ mm/yr km ± 1σ km A Pre-DS2009 Alpine Fault 1 35.0 0.4 21 1 B Pre-DS2009 Alpine Fault 2 30.0 1.5 17 1 Antithetic fault 4.2 1.0 17 Assumed C Post-DS2009 Alpine Fault 1 37.1 0.8 11 2 H Post-DS2009 1 36.8 0.2 20 fixed Assumed Alpine Fault (Big Bay profile) NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS 3 time series.